KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 10 — The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is the right place to pose questions on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan said today after 1MDB president Arul Kanda Kandasamy said he looked forward to the parliamentary committee’s hearings.
“I can't wait for Arul to answer Tony Pua's hard hitting questions,” Abdul Rahman tweeted from his @mpkotabelud Twitter account, as he retweeted broadcaster Astro Awani’s tweet of an article with the headline: “Arul Kanda says looking forward to attending PAC hearings on 1MDB”.
DAP publicity chief Pua said earlier today that 1MDB must repatriate US$1.83 billion (RM7.56 billion) to Malaysia as directed by Bank Negara Malaysia, claiming the state investment firm has sufficient overseas assets to do so.
The opposition MP said 1MDB could not use the excuse that it has already used up the funds, after the company said in a statement yesterday that the US$1.83 billion of overseas investments — which were converted in 2012 to fund units valued at US$2.318 billion — had already been spent or earmarked for debt settlement arrangements.
Arul Kanda denied today a claim by whistleblower site Sarawak Report that he had lied to the 1MDB board about cash in the state investment firm’s BSI Singapore bank account, saying that it was a misunderstanding which he clarified later to the board and to the Finance Ministry.
The PAC’s investigations on 1MDB were suspended after four committee members, including the chairman, were appointed to the government in a Cabinet reshuffle last July.
